Device for displaying containers



Dem 3, 1935. A. R|TH|E 2,23,15

DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING CONTAINERS Filed May 26, 1934 INVENTOR WWW ATTORN EYS Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE Albert E. Ritchie, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to The Wildroot Company, Inc., Buffalo, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 26, 1934, Serial No. 727,698

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a device for displaying containers of merchandise and more particularly to a device of this character whereby a plurality of containers in the form of flat pack- 5 ages and in the form of a bottle may be displayed in rows on the counters or tables of a store, so that the same may be readily examined by the customers and are conveniently available for making sales to a purchaser.

10 It is the object of this invention to provide a simple, inexpensive and eflicient display device of this character which permits of simultaneously displaying and storing a substantial quantity of containers in an attractive manner on a comparatively small amount of space on the counter or table of a store and enable goods to be sold directly from this display device without interfering with the neat and attractive appearance of the device, notwithstanding that the same may 20 not always be completely filled with containers of goods which are to be dispensed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of a container displaying device which embodies a satisfactory 25 form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same taken on line 2-2 Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on line 3--3 Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a cross section taken on line 44 Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, showing the preferred form of part of the coupling for detachably 5 connecting the front and rear sections of this display device.

In the following description similar characters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

40 In the preferred construction of this container displaying device the same comprises two sections having the general form of trays or baskets, which are adapted to be placed one behind the other on a counter or table and receive contain- 45 ers of the material which is to be sold, which sections are detachably connected with each other so that it is possible to either use one section in case only a comparatively narrow counter or table is available for supporting the same, but if 50 a wider counter or table is available for supporting the container displaying device then both sections of the device may be utilized so as to display the maximum amount of goods.

As shown in the drawing, the front section of 55 the displaying device is constructed as follows:

The numeral l0 represents two horizontal longitudinal lower or bottom rods, rails or bars which are arranged parallel with each other and are provided, respectively, at their rear ends with upwardly projecting and inclined rear arms ll. 5 On opposite lateral sides of these bottom rods and on a higher plane are arranged two upper retaining rods, bars or rails 12 which are provided at their front ends, respectively, with downwardly projecting inclined arms 13. The numeral I4 represents a front cross rod which has its intermediate part connected with the front ends of the bottom rods in while its opposite ends are connected wtih the lower ends of the front arms l3. The numeral 15 reprel5 sents a rear cross rod which has its intermediate part connected with the upper ends of the rear arms H while its opposite ends are connected with the rear parts of'the side rods 12.

For the purpose of holding the front parts of the upper side rods I2 in position relative to each other the same are connected by means of a cross rod l6, and the rear parts of the lower rods l0 and the upper rods I2 are for a like purpose connected with each other by means of a lower cross rod I! which has its intermediate part connected with the lower rods III, while its opposite ends are provided with upwardly projecting arms l8 which are connected at their upper ends with the rear parts of the side rods I2.

Within the frame of the front section of the display device formed by the above-described rods a plurality of receptacles or pockets l9 are formed which are adapted to receive flat packages or containers 20 in which the goods to be dispensed are held in an upright transverse position and stored in groups for convenience in supplying the trade. These pockets are arranged in a longitudinal row upon the lower rods ill and between the side rods l2, and in the preferred construction the several pockets are separated from each other by means of upright transverse partitions, each of which is preferably constructed of sheet metal so as to form a front wall 2! and a rear wall 22, which walls are connected with each other at their upper ends and diverge downwardly toward the lower bars l0. At their lower ends the front and rear walls of each partition are provided with horizontal front and rear base flanges 23, 24 which rest on the lower bars Ill and may be connected therewith by any suitable means, as for example by spot-welding.

The lower ends of the adjacent walls of two partitions are preferably connected with each other by an interlocking joint so as to stiffen the structure as a whole, this being preferably accomplished by providing the rear base flange 24 of each partition with an upwardly projecting locking flange 25 which engages with a downwardly opening channel-shaped flange 26 formed on the front end of the respective base flange 23.

Each of the pockets I9 is adapted to receive a small batch or group of flat containers which hold the goods which are to be dispensed, and these containers are confined in these pockets by the side rods or rails l2 which are adaptedto engage with the vertical edges of the containers.

The rear section of this display device is preferably constructed as follows:-

The numeral 2! represents two lower longitudinal bottom rods arranged parallel and provided at their front ends with upwardly projecting arms 28, while their rear ends are provided with upwardly projecting arms 29. Lengthwise on opposite sides of the bottom rods and in a higher plane are two longitudinal upper side rods 3|), the front parts of which are connected by an upper transverse rod 3| with the upper ends of the arms 28, while the rear ends of these side rods 30 are connected with the upper ends of the rear arms 29 by means of a rear cross-rod 32.

Within the frame of the rear section of the display device formed by the rods just described, means are provided for dividing the same into a plurality of pockets 33 which are adapted to receive a plurality of batches or groups of flat containers 34 which hold the goods to be dispensed. The pockets in this rear section are preferably formed by means of a horizontal transverse plate 35 which is secured at its opposite lateral edges to the top of the rods 21 by means of soldering, spot-welding or other suitable means, and provided at its front and rear ends with upwardly turned flanges 36, 31 forming partitions which divide the space within the frame of the rear display section into three pockets or compartments, one of which is above the plate 35 while others are arranged within this frame in front and in rear of this plate.

As best shown in Fig. 2 a quantity of containers may be supported in an upright position upon the plate 35 and held in place thereon by the upper side rods 30 while other containers or packages may be arranged in groups in front and rear of the plate 35 and rest with their lower edges directly on the lower rods 21.

Means are provided for detachably connecting the front and rear sections of the display device so that the same can be either used on a counter or table as a unit, or the same can be detached and used separately in different places.

Although various means may be employed for accomplishing this purpose, those best shown in Figs. 1 and preferably consist of coupling eyes 38 arranged at the rear ends of the upper side rods l2 and offset hooks 39 arranged at the front ends of the upper rear side rods 30, and each adapted to be passed downwardly through one of the eyes 38 and engaged with the underside of the adjacent part of the rear cross rod l5. This means of coupling the front and rear sections of the display device is not only very simple and inexpensive in construction but the same operates to hold these sections in proper position relatively to each other when in use and also permits of readily assembling the same for use as well as dismembering the same when required.

In addition to providing means for displaying containers or packages of flat or envelope form which hold the goods to be dispensed, such as powders, means are provided for holding a bottleshaped container 40 in an upright position on the rear part of the front display section in order to acquaint the trade as to the manner of using the preparation which is contained in the flat packages or envelopes.

The holder for this bottle, as best shown in Figs. 1, '2 and 4 is constructed in the form of an upright pocket, which is formed by a plurality 0f upright rods or wires 4|, 42 arranged at the corners of this pocket, a lower front cross rod 43 connecting the lower parts of the front corner rods 4|, a lower rearcross rod 44 connecting the lower parts of the. rear corner rods 42, an upper rear cross rod .45 connecting the upper parts of the rear corner rods 42, upper and lower side rods 45, 4! connecting the upper and lower parts of each pair of front and rear corner rods 4|, 42 and a longitudinal bottom rod 48 arranged midway between the pairs of corner rods 4|, 42 and provided at its opposite ends with upwardly pro-' jecting arms 49, 50 which are connected at their upper ends with the central parts of the front and rear cross rods 43, 44. -35

The space enclosed by the rods just mentioned forms an upright pocket into which a bottle 40 or similar container may be readilyintroduced for display or removed therefrom when not required.

This bottle supporting holder may be detachably mounted on the rear part of the front section of the display device by any suitable means, but preferably by the means which are constructed as follows:

The numeral 5| represents two horizontal 1011- gitudinal supporting rods, each of which is connected with the lower ends of a pair of front and rear corner rods 4|, 42. Each of these supporting rods is provided at its front end with a downwardly projecting hook-shaped lug 52 which engages over a transverse coupling bar 53 arranged in front of the rear cross bar I5 and connected at its opposite ends with the side bars |2 of the front section of the display device. At its rear end each of the supporting rods 5| is provided with a downwardly projecting lug 54 which is arranged at right angles to the respective supporting rod 5| and engages with the rear side of the rear cross bar |5 when the bottle holder is mounted on the front section of the display device. By this means the bottle holder may be readily mounted on or removed from the front section of the display device and thus permits of displaying a bottle or omitting such display, as best suitsthe particular conditions under which the 55 goods are being displayed. 7

If desired, the bottle may be placed directly in the holder, as shown by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2, or this bottle may be placed within a casing 55 and the latter in turn placed within the pocket of this bottle holder, as shown by full lines in Fig. 4, in which latter case the casing may be provided on its exterior with suitable advertising matter relating to the goods which are being displayed.

As a whole this display device is of simple construction and capable of being produced at low cost. Moreover the same permits of displaying a comparatively large quantity of containers in small groups so that when the number of containers is reduced by sales which are made from time to time, the containers still remaining in the pockets will assume an orderly position and thereby maintain a neat and attractive appear- 7 ance as a whole, of the goods which are being offered to the trade.

I claim as my invention:---

A device for displaying containers, comprising two longitudinal bottom rods each of which is provided at its rear end with an upwardly projecting arm, a front cross rod connected with the front ends of said bottom rods and projecting laterally beyond opposite sides of the same, two upper guard rods arranged lengthwise on opposite sides of said bottom rods and above the plane of the latter and provided at their front ends with downwardly extending arms which are connected with opposite ends of said front cross rod, a rear cross rod having its intermediate part connected with the upper ends of said rear arms and its opposite ends connected with the rear ends of the side rods, and a plurality of pockets arranged on said lower rods and between said-upper rods and adapted to receive containers to be displayed.

ALBERT E. RITCHIE. 

